Obituary of Donald CHIPILSKI

DONALD JAMES CHIPILSKI It is with great sadness that we let you know that Donald Chipilski passed away on December 1, 2008. With family by his side, he died with dignity and pride knowing that he led a good life and was a good husband, father, brother-in-law, uncle and friend. Don is survived by his wife Denise, daughters Elizabeth and Stephanie. He is also survived by his mother in law Gladys Gural, sister in law and brother in law Cindy and Rick Grabowecky, his nieces and their husbands, Lori and Lyle Horodecki, and Lisa and Gordon Nickel. Also left to miss him are his great nieces and nephews, Max and Stella Horodecki and Nadia and Oliver Nickel. The extended family and friends are too many to mention but you know that each one of you was special to Don in some way. Don was predeceased by is parents Steven and Rosemarie Chipelski, and by his best friend and father in law Nick Gural. Don was born in Ladywood, Manitoba on October 25, 1934. He grew up in the Ladywood and Beausejour area. He spent his childhood living with relatives on the farm and as a teenager moved to Winnipeg to live with his father. Don was a man of all trades. He had many careers in his lifetime; he was a newsboy on the trains, milkman, sign builder, Air Canada worker, restaurant owner, and finally Customs & Traffic Coordinator at Boeing of Canada. Don retired from Boeing in 1998 after 26 years of service. Don was a hard and conscientious worker, and he would do it right even if it took longer than expected. He believed in measure twice cut once. Once his working career was finished his retirement career took over. He enjoyed his days to himself, building and fixing things. He even learned to cook things other than roast, potatoes, and gravy. Don took care of the yard, and loved to plant gardens. He and his buddy Nick spent many hours comparing the growth of their gardens, especially tomatoes and cucumbers. Don married Denise on November 20, 1982. They enjoyed 26 years together. Don was a best friend and shoulder to lean on for Denise. He usually had the answer to all their problems and she loved him for it. Don was old school and took seriously his job as husband and provider even down to the simplest things like walking on the outside down the street or paying for a pack of gum at the store. There were many enjoyable years of fishing and camping all around Manitoba, Ontario and the US. Don and Denise enjoyed trips to Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Florida, Las Vegas, South Dakota, and, of course, Fargo. Even when a family was started Don and Denise always made time for each other with a weekend of fishing or a weekend in the States. Don and Denise enjoyed many family outings and events together. Dancing at someone's wedding brought them the most joy, especially if it was a polka. Don loved to dance. His foot would start tapping to the music and he would look for a partner, usually Denise. To Don's delight Denise and Don had two beautiful girls, Elizabeth and Stephanie. He was the most wonderful father to them, and they could do no wrong in his eyes. He was a hands on father, changing diapers and giving baths. He got up nights to help in any way he could. He made their childhood great by taking them camping and fishing almost every weekend. Both girls could cast with the best of them. One of his best Father's Days was when in their twenties, the girls set up a fishing trip to the Whiteshell with their dad. They supplied all the lunch and fun. He had to supply the fishing tackle. Don enjoyed many other activities with his girls such as zoos, parks, beaches, concerts, shows, bike rides, fairs, and even playing dolls or Lego on the floor. Another activity that brought him joy was to dance with his girls. He was such a proud Father on the dance floor with them. Those Ukrainian dance lessons paid off. Don was very proud of Elizabeth's and Stephanie's accomplishments. He spent many hours driving to and sitting through dancing lessons, concerts, keyboard lessons, and early morning band practice. Don did all of this with love and pride. He was able to see them grow into young ladies with goals and ambitions. He helped them through school, university, and different jobs. They have the same work ethics as him and continue to learn and grow. It made Don feel great as a father to know that his daughters would have careers that would support them and make them happy. He also enjoyed when his daughters were surrounded by friends, whether it was at the house or out for an evening of fun. Don's words of advice to them have not changed through the years, he always said, "Remember, use common sense." Those were always the last words he told them when they were off to a new adventure. The sound of those words will never leave them. A funeral service will take place at Cropo Funeral Chapel, 1442 Main Street on Thursday, December 4 at 7:00 p.m. Private burial to follow at a later time. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to St. Joseph's Ukrainian Catholic Church, The Salvation Army or Cancer Care Manitoba. CROPO FUNERAL CHAPEL 586.8044